Showing of film 'Wenonah's Secret' marks the 36th anniversary of the Wenonah Hotel fire

View full sizeThe Wenonah Hotel building caught fire on Dec. 10, 1977.Bay City Times File Photo

BAY CITY, MI — It was December 10, 1977, and residents of Bay City woke up to a cloud of smoke hovering over downtown as one of Bay City most famous landmarks, the Wenonah Hotel building, burned to the ground.

At the time of the fire, the building served as an apartment complex

In honor of the 35th anniversary of that fire in 2012, Wade Lodeywk and his Even Keel Productions wrote and filmed “Wenonah's Secret,” a locally produced short movie based on the fire.

The movie made its debut in July at the State Theatre, but the filmmakers are offering up two encore presentations on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the historic State Theatre, 913 Washington Ave. in downtown Bay City. The showings coincide the the 36-year anniversary of the fire.

Showtimes are at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $5.

View full sizeThe Princess Wenonah mosaic is moved to its current home at the Bay County Historical Museum.Bay City Times File Photo

The movie is not a documentary, but rather a combination of fact and fiction. It follows an elderly man as he guides two college students through downtown Bay City. The students seek information about the mosaic of Princess Wenonah that made its home in the historic hotel. Princess Wenonah is the fictional Native American maiden for whom the hotel was named. The gentleman in the movie is familiar with the mosaic and fondly recalls being in the hotel as a young man and growing up in Bay City.

As he guides the students towards the Bay County Historical Museum, where the Wenonah mosaic is now displayed, he is troubled by some of his memories. Eventually he has to come to grips with how he lost the love of his life on December 10, 1977, the day the Wenonah Hotel building was consumed by flames.

The movie was filmed completely in Bay City and features some of downtown's past- and present-day landmarks, including the Friendship Ring, the former Mill End Store and the Pere Marquette Depot.

Vintage photographs of the interior and exterior of the Wenonah Hotel, from a time when it was highly regarded as one of the state's finest hotels, are incorporated into the film. Scenes from inside the Caris Red Lion diner are also recreated.

Film footage from that tragic winter morning when the Wenonah Hotel building caught fire will also be shown to the public for the first time.